The Nigerian Navy says it has thwarted a fresh attempt by oil theft syndicates to restart a major illegal refining operation in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA of Rivers State.
According to Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information, the operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER under Operation DELTA SENTINEL during routine anti-crude oil theft patrols.
Acting on intelligence, the team moved into Egbema after reports that criminals had reactivated illegal refining sites the Navy had dismantled earlier. A sweep of the area confirmed three reactivated refining sites linked to 13 dugout pits.
Folorunsho said personnel found about 260,000 litres of suspected crude oil and 405,000 litres of illegally refined diesel across the sites. The discovery, he noted, pointed to a major push to restore production capacity in the area.
Preliminary findings showed the operators were tapping crude from an abandoned wellhead nearby, a sign, the Navy said, of how criminal networks keep adapting old infrastructure for illicit use.
“The illegal refining sites, dugout pits, and products were handled in line with anti-crude oil theft procedures,” Folorunsho stated, adding that the action effectively disrupted the renewed attempt.
He explained that the operation reflects the Navy’s shift toward stopping the regeneration of illegal refining ecosystems, not just dismantling them. Intelligence shows criminals repeatedly return to the same locations despite past raids, making sustained monitoring and quick interdiction critical.
The Navy said it will continue intelligence-led operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle criminal networks, protect oil infrastructure, and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests.
